Which of the following describes a key difference between the functions of political parties and interest groups in the United States political system?
- Political parties seek to control government by nominating candidates for office, whereas interest groups focus on influencing policy from the outside without nominating candidates.Answer
- BInterest groups nominate candidates for public office to directly control the government, whereas political parties only educate the public on policy.
- CPolitical parties serve as the legislative component of iron triangles to pass legislation, whereas interest groups are temporary issue networks that are barred from lobbying.
- DInterest groups use bureaucratic discretionary authority to implement federal regulations, whereas political parties draft and issue executive orders.
Answer
Political parties seek to control government by nominating candidates for office, whereas interest groups focus on influencing policy from the outside without nominating candidates.
Political parties are linkage institutions that nominate candidates for office and seek to control the government by winning elections. Interest groups, on the other hand, are policy specialists that attempt to influence public policy from the outside and do not nominate candidates for public office.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The primary distinction between political parties and interest groups lies in their relationship to elections and government control: political parties nominate candidates to run the government, while interest groups seek to influence policy from the outside.